International Journal of Latest Research in Science and Technology

Vol.1,Issue 3 :Page No.299- 303 ,September-October (2012)

http://www.mnkjournals.com/ijlrst.htm

ISSN (Online):2278-5299

IMPROVEMENT OF CALL BLOCKING

PROBABILITY IN UMTS
Vijay Kaushik1, Sunil Kumar2, Kuldeep Sharma3
1,2

Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Bhagwan Mahavir Institute of Engineering & Technology
M.D.U., SONEPAT (HR), INDIA
3
Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering,R.N. college of Engineering & Technology
K.U.K., PANIPAT (HR), INDIA
3
1
vijay1234hce@gmail.com, 2Sunilrawal22@gmail..com, Kuldeepsh3@gmail.com

Abstract :-In the wireless mobile communication, a major problem comes during an ongoing call, it was the reduction in call blocking
probability during call transfer from one cell to the other cell without dropping the ongoing connection with the base station. A no. of
remedies techniques were developed in order to solve this major problem. The call transfer process is done when the link quality decreases
between the mobile device and the base station system. The call transfer process from one base station to another may get failure due to the
unavailability of the resources in the target cell or when the link quality becomes very less ,i.e, below some acceptable level , then it becomes
very difficult for a call to exist. So the actual idea behind this research is to reduce the call blocking probability in UMTS by using
Multiplexed NOVSF (Non blocking Orthogonal Variable Spreading Factor Codes) & therefore to enhance the capacity of the wireless
communication system by allowing more no. of users inside the single mobile cells.
Keywords:-WCDMA; UMTS; DS-CDMA; Soft Handoff; OVSF Codes; NOVSF Codes; Code Blocking;

I INTRODUCTION
The third generation (3G) wireless standards UMTS/IMT2000 use the wideband CDMA (UMTS) to support high data
rate and variable bit rate services with different quality of
service (QoS) requirements. In UMTS, all users share the
same carrier under the direct sequence CDMA (DS-CDMA)
principle [1]. In the 3GPP specifications, orthogonal
variable spreading factor (OVSF) codes are used as
channelization codes for data spreading on both downlink
and uplink. OVSF codes also determine the data rates
allocated to calls. Because OVSF codes require a single
RAKE combiner at the receiver, they are preferable.to
multiples of orthogonal constant spreading factor (SF) codes
which need multiple RAKE combiners at the receiver.
When a particular code is used in OVSF, its descendant
and ancestor codes cannot be used simultaneously because
their encoded sequences become indistinguishable.
Therefore, the OVSF code tree has a limited number of
available codes. Because one OVSF code tree, along with
one scrambling code, is used for transmissions from a single
source that may be a base station or mobile station, the same
OVSF code tree is used for the downlink transmissions and
therefore the base station must carefully assign the OVSF
codes to the downlink transmissions. The asynchronous
uplink transmissions do not suffer from this limitation since
each mobile station as a single source uses a unique
scrambling code with the spreading codes of its OVSF code

ISSN: 2278-5299

tree, where scrambling code makes signals from different

mobile stations separable from each other. But, if the uplink
is synchronous, the OVSF code limitations of the downlink
are also valid for the uplink. The use of OVSF codes in
downlink and synchronous uplink guarantees that there is no
intra-cell interference in a flat fading channel. Since the
maximum number of OVSF codes is hard-limited, the
efficient assignment of OVSF codes has a significant impact
on resource utilization.
Any two OVSF codes are orthogonal if and only if one of
them is not a parent code of the other. Therefore, when an
OVSF code is assigned, it blocks its entire ancestor and
descendant codes assignment from because they are not
orthogonal.
This results in a major drawback of OVSF from assignment
because they are not codes, called blocking property: a new call
cannot be supported because there is no available free code with
the requested SF, even if the network has excess capacity to
support it. To alleviate the effects of the blocking property of
OVSF
codes, various schemes such as code reassignment
schemes, time sharing of channels, and statistical multiplexing of
busty data traffic are proposed in the literature.
This paper presents non-blocking OVSF (NOVSF) codes.
NOVSF codes are non-blocking in the sense that no code
assignment blocks the assignment of any other code. All NOVSF

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Vijay Kaushik et.al, International Journal of Latest Research in Science and Technology.

codes are orthogonal to each other and, therefore, can be

assigned simultaneously as far as orthogonality is concerned.

higher data rate, so that the overall bandwidth (data rate

SF) of the system is same.
F)

2 UMTS MODEL & OVSF CODES

A) UMTS CODE ALLOCATION SCHEME

Figure 1 depicts the UMTS code allocation in a cell where

every user can transmit his data in one or several channels
after multiplying each channel by an orthogonal code. We
sum all these channels to constitute the data ow that is
multiplied by the unique scrambling code assigned to the
user by the base station.
G)
H)
I) Fig.2.2.The NOVSF code tree containing eight
orthogonal OVSF codes with SF=8 each. Each of these
eight codes has 64 time slots.
J)
K)

Fig 2.1: UMTS System model.

In Fig 1.Each user transmits on a unique scrambling code.
All services (voice, data or both) are multiplexed on the
scrambling sequence by using separate OVSF codes.

L)
Table1.1 summarizes the spreading factors, symbol rates,
and bit rates for UMTS physical channels.

B)OVSF CODE GENERATION AND BLOCKING PROPERTY

C)
The UMTS standard defines an 8-layer OVSF code
tree in the forward link. The SF from layers 1 to 8 are 512,
256, 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, and 4, respectively. The
corresponding data rates handled are R, 2R, 4R, 8R, 16R,
32R, 64R and 128R (where R is the basic data rate 7.5
kbps). The OVSF code tree is generated using the Walsh
code procedure. For input code A the two children are [A,
A] and [A,A]. In the second step assume [A, A] as B and
[A,A] as C. The code B and C further generate children
{[B, B], [B,B]} and {[C, C], [C,C]}, respectively.
The procedure is repeated eight times to generate 8
D)
layer OVSF code tree as in UMTS system. Figure 1 shows
an OVSF code tree with the SF varying from 1 to 8. It can
handle four different data rates R, 2R, 4R and 8R. As
explained earlier, in the OVSF scheme a code can be given
to the coming user if, all descendents and ancestors of the
code from root to leaf is free.
E) Accordingly, only one code can be assigned to a UE in
the path from the root to leaf. The code with the
relatively smaller SF is used for user with relatively

ISSN:2278-5299

Fig 2.3 Code blocking and reassignment in OVSF code tree.

Fig 2.3 show the assignment of code C4; 1 blocks the
assignment of its ancestor codes (i.e., C2;1 and C1;1) and

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descendant codes(i.e., C8;1 and C8;2). The circle and cross

signs on the links indicate the assigned and blocked codes,
respectively
To alleviate code-blocking problem and improve the
utilization of OVSF codes, code various schemes such as
code reassignment schemes, time sharing of channels and
statistical multiplexing of bursty data traffic are proposed.
These heuristic algorithms often lead to chain of code
reassignments that result in a lot of overhead because many
receivers need to be informed of new code reassignments.
3 NON-BLOCKING OVSF CODES
The basic ideas behind the proposed NOVSF codes are
discussed next by describing four different cases. In every
case, all the codes are orthogonal to each other. They differ from each other in the range of SF and whether time
multiplexing is applied.
Technique 1: NOVSF codes with four initial orthogonal
codes.
In this case, as shown in Fig. 3.1, there are initially four
orthogonal codes, namely, A, B, C, and D. Using these four
orthogonal codes, a binary code tree is constructed as
follows. Code Ais made the root code with SF=4 in the layer
1 of the tree. For the tree layer 2, the following two
orthogonal codes with SF=8 are generated from code B:
(B,B) and (B,B). Similarly, four codes are generated from
code C and are placed on layer 3 of the tree. Finally, eight
generated codes from D are placed on layer 4 of the tree. All
the codes of the tree are orthogonal to each other and, they
can be very desirable codes for broadband fixed wireless
networks where maximum SF should not exceed 32. Indeed,
what is required is to have a code tree of four layers in this
case, but the SF of codes at any one of these four layers can
be equal to any power of 2 ranging between 4 and 512,
depending on the requested data rates of users. For instance,
the SFs of the code tree could be 16, 4, 32, and 64 at some
instant of time.

Fig. 3.1.NOVSF codes with four initial orthogonal codes.

In this figure, it is assumed that SF ranges from 4 to 32. But,
SF can indeed range from 4 to 512. For instance, the SFs of
the tree layers may be 4, 8, 32, and 128
Technique 2: NOVSF codes with eight initial orthogonal
codes with SF from 8 to 512.
In this case, as shown in Fig. 3.2, there are initially eight
orthogonal codes, namely, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. Using
the first seven orthogonal codes, a binary code tree is
constructed as follows. Code A is made the root code with
SF=8 in the layer 1 of the tree. For the tree layer 2, the
following two orthogonal codes with SF= with SF=16 are
generated from code B: (B, B) and (B, B). Similarly four
codes four codes are generated from code C and are placed
on layer 3 of the tree. As illustrated in Fig. 3.2 codes D, E,
F, and G generate 8, 16, 32, and 64 codes, respectively, and
are placed on layers 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively. Code H can
be used as a standby code in any tree layer whenever more
codes are needed. Indeed, each one of the eight codes A, B,
C, D, E, F, G, and H can have any SF depending on the
requested data rates.

Fig. 3.2.The binary code tree for NOVSF codes with

8SF512. Only one NOVSF code is illustrated in layers 47
due to space limitations.
Technique 3: NOVSF codes with SF=4 employing time
multiplexing
In this case, as shown in Figure 3.3 there are initially four
orthogonal codes of SF =4, namely, A, B, C, and D. Each
code is associated with a time-slot number and cycle length,
in addition to the SF of the code. Cycle-length is simply the
sum of the time slots in a cycle. The time-slot number is the
label of the time slot in a cycle. When a code is not shared in
time, its cycle-length becomes equal to one. Thus, a code is
assigned to a communication channel along with its time-slot
and cycle-length. There are mainly two reasons why a code
may be shared in time. One reason is to have better utilization

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of codes, which leads to an improvement in spectral

efficiency of UMTS. Another reason to share a code in time
is to help rate matching techniques such as repetition or
puncturing to achieve the requested data rates. Note that
repetition or puncturing is used to adjust the channel-coding
rate of each transport channel to match the coded bit rates to
one of a limited set of rates on the physical channel.

Figure S3: Blocking Probability of NOVSF Codes (TimeMultiplexing) at different call rates

Figure S1: Blocking probability of OVSF codes at different

call rate
Figure S1 suggest that as the new call arrival rate increases
these OVSF Codes provide the Blocking to the new call. So
as the new call arrival increases OVSF Codes provide more
blocking probability to them

Figure S3: Suggest that if we use these purposed NOVSF

codes in the time multiplexing modes, these time multiplex
NOVSF Codes will provide less code blocking as compared
to the previous NOVSF Codes.
5. CONCLUSION
We have proposed use of non-blocking OVSF (NOVSF)
codes in the sense that all codes are orthogonal to each other
and no code blocks the assignment of any other NOVSF
codes.
As the graphs of Blocking probability Vs New call arrival
rate (request/minute) show that NOVSF codes produce less
code blocking then OVSF codes, hence we can assign
NOVSF code easily to the new user during handover
process leading to increased system capacity and high code
utilization. Therefore, non blocking OVSF codes are better
option for channelization codes in W-CDMA system in near
future.

REFERENCES:
1. Non Blocking OVSF Codes Influence The Performance Of UMTS
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Figure S2: Blocking probability of NOVSF codes at

different call rate

2.Third Generation Partnership Project Technical Specification Group

Radio Access Network Working Group 1,Spreading and Modulation,

Figure S2 suggest that as the new call arrival rate increases

these NOVSF Codes provide the Blocking to the new call.
So as the new call arrival increases NOVSF Codes provide
more blocking probability to them, but it is less than the
Code Blocking provided by the ordinary OVSF Codes.

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